I found these quirky pendants over at the LP by rJax Etsy store. Aren’t they beautiful?

They’re both hand cut from pieces of poplar and then sanded and completed with wood burned patterns. The pendant on the right includes a tiny maple leaf which has been decoupaged onto the wood. The pendant on the left spells out ‘craft’ in binary code. Even the cords have been hand knotted to add to the ‘rustic feel’ of the necklaces.

There are lots of other unusual accessories over at Rebecca Jackson’s Etsy store. See for yourself at http://lpdesigns.etsy.com.

One of my Christmas presents this year was a shopper. It’s so much nicer using your own shopping bag, rather than some ugly old supermarket carrier bag. Don’t you think? Plus they’re much sturdier and tend not to rip in half when you’re half way home.

Bella Bags by Marcia has a whole range of handmade bags in all shapes and sizes to suit every imaginable activity. There are handbags, totes, diaper bags, gym bags, yoga mats, slouch bags and book bags. And you can even have make-up bags and sunglasses bags made up to match.

The bag at the top on the left is a Carryall Bag. It has a unique shape and myriad of inside pockets to enable you to ‘carry all’ your essentials in one place. The handbag on the right is made from pretty floral fabric with bamboo effect handles . Perfect for spring.

If you like jewellery you’ll love this Jewellery Tee (top left) by dressedbydanni. The charm necklace with star, key, skull, heart and anchor charms has been hand drawn. In fact all of the illustrations which appear on the garments have been hand drawn by Danni herself.

There are three collections to choose from - The Scrumps (my favourite) which includes a range of short sleeved tees with original illustrations, The Snoot which includes a range of halter neck waistcoats in unusual, wacky prints and finally Relish which includes wool and cotton embellished scarves and jewellery.

In addition to clothing and accessories, the multi-talented Danni also has an impressive portfolio of artwork. Go to www.dressedbydanni.co.uk for more information.

dressedbydanni will aslo be taking part in New Art Birmingham on 16th to 18th March at

The Gate House
The Bond
180-182 Fazeley Street
Birmingham
B5 5SE

Opening Times - 10.30 to 5.30

After months of dark, gloomy days we can now start looking forward to the spring. And I’ve found a whole host of pretty wallets, purses and accessories in bright florals and sunny shades. Jenna Lou of Jenna Lou Designs makes everything herself from designing, cutting and sewing, right up to shipping orders to customers. She uses a range of contemporary and vintage fabrics to create bold, lively pieces.

The Pocket Pal Wallet (top left) has slots for up to 6 cards, a pocket for notes and receipts and a zippered pocket for coins. All items are double interfaced to make them extra sturdy and are stitched with longevity in mind.

The Zippy bags (top right) are Jenna Lou’s ‘bigger little bags’ and are ideal for keeping inside a larger tote or shopper for mobile phones, receipts, make-up, keys and all those other bits and bobs that get lost at the bottom of your bag.

And I just had to include the Pony Tail Hair Holders. Each fabric covered button has been created by hand and contains an ‘ouch free’ hair elastic, to keep your hair neat, tidy and looking cute.

Go to jennalou06.etsy.com for more information.

February 14th. A day of love, romance, flowers, hearts, chocolates and the launch of the eagerly awaited Tokyo Made. At 8 o’clock a.m. Tokyo time, the much anticipated emporium of Tokyo cool threw open its doors to share its stylish treasures with the online global community.

The store is full to the rafters with goodies from hip, young Japanese designers and artists. Kawaii meets Street meets Wa. But more than this, co-owners Masao and Deanne describe it as an ‘an open window to a Tokyo shopping adventure’. As well as clothes, accessories, bags and jewellery, Masao and Deanne are eager to share the booty from their frequent power shopping trips.

And keep reading their blog, where they will keep us updated with Tokyo stories, fashion reports, street shots, designer interviews, product reviews and daily bits and pieces from the city.